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Help, Auto Bilge while surfing


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We just started surfing with our new 2017 T23.  After about 20mins into our surfing some of the times after we stop to pick up a downed surfer or switch riders when we start surfing again the auto bilge comes on.  It turns on when the bow comes up and the water rushes to the back of the boat after were stopped.  It will activate for up to 10 seconds, quite a bit of water (with the alarm blaring while its activating).  It’s not every time we stop but it has happened every time we have went out surfing now and only when we have surfed.

 

Have other people experienced this as well?  I don’t think my ballast is leaking so I am trying to find out where this water is coming from.

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5 minutes ago, longlake said:

 

We just started surfing with our new 2017 T23.  After about 20mins into our surfing some of the times after we stop to pick up a downed surfer or switch riders when we start surfing again the auto bilge comes on.  It turns on when the bow comes up and the water rushes to the back of the boat after were stopped.  It will activate for up to 10 seconds, quite a bit of water (with the alarm blaring while its activating).  It’s not every time we stop but it has happened every time we have went out surfing now and only when we have surfed.

 

Have other people experienced this as well?  I don’t think my ballast is leaking so I am trying to find out where this water is coming from.

yes, we have a 2017 A22 and it happens every time we surf, usually after 3-4 runs it starts. my guess is water is getting into the engine air vents on the side.  I know it is not coming from our ballast, I have checked every connection. we are not overly concerned about it more annoying than anything with the high pitch beep. is there any way to turn down the beep? that is my biggest complaint about the boat the loud beep for auto bilge and low fuel.  

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make sure its not actually leaking from the engine hull intake / strainer. 

We have issues with water storing in the bow when it rains and slowing making its way back.

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Thanks for the feedback!  I will check the strainer but I am also thinking it is coming in through the vents somewhere when you stop from surfing and the water rushes up to the back of the boat.  Not a big fan of having water coming into the bilge but like you said the worst part is the constant beeping from the alarm. 

Anyone else experiencing the same thing?

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I have a 2016 25 LSV. It has happened twice. Usually I'm fully ballasted and have quite a few people in the boat. I don't have autovent and my Kinetic valves on the PNP bags will squirt out a little water from time to time. My alarm doesn't make noise but it pops up on the screen. It hasn't really bothered me yet.

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10 minutes ago, longlake said:

Thanks for the feedback!  I will check the strainer but I am also thinking it is coming in through the vents somewhere when you stop from surfing and the water rushes up to the back of the boat.  Not a big fan of having water coming into the bilge but like you said the worst part is the constant beeping from the alarm. 

Anyone else experiencing the same thing?

We have checked an A24 and a T23 and even full weighted with tons of additional ballast, we could not see the water rushing up the back into the vents so ruled that out/ 

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ahopkins22LSV

Definitely check all of your ballast connections though. I had a loose plug n play fitting and it solved two things, why I always got water in the bildge after filling the ballast and why that side filled slower. 

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I found my kids drag a ton of water in the boat while climbing in and out to jump off the side or just playing.  It doesn't take too long before that adds enough water to kick our bilge on.  I will say the mission mat we bought has cut that down considerably since they can keep themselves entertained there as opposed to having to jump off the side.

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5 minutes ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Definitely check all of your ballast connections though. I had a loose plug n play fitting and it solved two things, why I always got water in the bildge after filling the ballast and why that side filled slower. 

That's a good thought.

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Thanks again for all the feedback.  I am almost certain it’s not from dragging water into the boat as the bilge will run after back to runs with the same surfer in the water and no one getting into the boat.  I’ll double check the plug n play connections again, I do have one side that fills slower than the other.  If that is it I don’t know why it wouldn’t run the bilge the first time we surf after filling however, it usually takes some time before the bilge starts filling.

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Check your cup holders in the back, if they are loose that is where the water is coming in from when you stop. My friend has a ‘17 A20 and the same issue. While surfing only, the bilge would kick on every time. He resealed the cup holders and no more issues. 

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24 minutes ago, longlake said:

Thanks again for all the feedback.  I am almost certain it’s not from dragging water into the boat as the bilge will run after back to runs with the same surfer in the water and no one getting into the boat.  I’ll double check the plug n play connections again, I do have one side that fills slower than the other.  If that is it I don’t know why it wouldn’t run the bilge the first time we surf after filling however, it usually takes some time before the bilge starts filling.

agreed if it was a leaking ballast issue you would think you'd experience the auto bilge kicking on the first time you took off. I have checked my connections, all are tight. I will check the cup holders like Agman stated.

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Ours does the same.  I have leaky auto vent loops that spray in water when filling the ballasts.  Then when surfing if you stop quick water goes over the back into the cupholders and also the two back seats or breather hose.  Also when people get in and out of the boat from the back if they are dripping water it brings in more than you think.  Life jackets, tubes, boards all drip water.

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Check the "shoebox" where the upper deck goes over the lower deck under the rub rail.  If it is not sealed properly, the water can run right into the boat from this joint at surfing speeds from the water displaced from the hull and splashing up the sides.

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Ours leaked here as well had to caulk under rub rail and also did on the inside of rear locker. You could see where water was running down the carpet. 

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Thanks for all of the suggestions, we’ll be surfing all weekend so I now have a long list of items to review to try and track down this leak.  Thanks again.

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I don't have an Axis but I have the same intermittent problem.  It is water coming in thru the vents.  Happens if I am fully ballasted out & it's choppy.  About the only time it happens.

One thing to consider, on my last boat all I had to do was snug the hull plug.  My new boat I have to tighten the hell out of it or it will let water seep.  Something else to check.  

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Try decelerating more slowly when a rider falls.  I've started doing that, and I'm getting less water in the bilge, which makes me think it was the wave hitting the back of the boat and getting into the vents.  The alarm is annoying, but you can get it to stop by turning on the bilge (pressing the button).  

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My '15 23 LSV had random leaks in '15 that were loose hose clamps, etc. but I took care of them, '16 was a ballast upgrade year so I was chasing leaking hose clamps again, '17 was dry (you could store towels in the bilge), but now I've swapped some ballast parts again and ended up with 20+ gallons of water in the bilge on the last trip. One of the items that always seems to leak is the shower (if you have one); the giveaway is that the bilge water isn't just warm, but hot. Don't forget to check heater hoses and hose clamps.

Just because a hose clamp didn't leak last year doesn't mean it isn't going to leak this year. the hoses deform and can cause problems over time. Load your ballast (and fuel) to the max, get a friend/family member to drive at surf speed, and crawl all over the boat looking for leaks. If you use a shop-vac to remove all the bilge water then you can put towels down to identify the general location that the water is coming from.

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Thanks for all of the feedback, I have yet to track down the source of the leak.  We have found that it does not run as often if we decelerate slowly after a rider falls and we go to pick them up.  It is very inconsistent however, I drive the same way and one time I get the bilge running and the next I will not.  I have found that the down arrow that is pointed to the left in-between the surf gate directions will silence the alarm as well.  My next step will need to be searching the boat over at surf speeds to try and figure out where its coming from. 

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